Improving the Antitumor Effect of Chemotherapy with Ocoxin as a Novel Adjuvant Agent to Treat Prostate Cancer

Abstract

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men. Although many patients respond favorably to first-line treatments, castration—and chemotherapy—resistance arises after a few years, leading to metastasis. Thus, new approaches are being investigated using natural supplements to reinforce current therapies. Ocoxin is a plant-based mixture with antitumor properties that have been proved in several cancers. Here, we evaluated the cytotoxic capacity of this compound itself and combined with Docetaxel, Enzalutamide and Olaparib as an adjuvant agent. We observed that Ocoxin reduced tumor cell viability; slowed down cell cycles; altered the expression of genes involved in DNA replication, cell cycles and the p53 signaling pathway; and reduced migratory capacity after stimulation with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and osteoblasts in vitro and reduced tumor volume in vivo. The combination of the nutritional supplement with chemotherapy showed a higher cytotoxic effect than chemotherapy alone and reverted chemoresistance conferred by CAFs and osteoblasts. Moreover, the adjuvant therapy also improved the outcome in vivo compared to the treatment with solo chemotherapy, where mice developed smaller tumors and less angiogenesis. Therefore, Ocoxin arises as a good candidate for further studies in combination with current treatments for prostate-cancer patients.